The Commerce City Council late Monday unanimously approved a 30-day moratorium on oil and gas activities.

In a statement released after the meeting, the council characterized the moratorium as a “timeout” to discuss the issue before the council makes a decision on a longer-term moratorium on the controversial hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

A timeout period had been requested by the industry and the state.

“City Council’s decision allows Commerce City to assess how best to balance necessary oil and gas development with the growth of our city,” Mayor Pro Tem Dominick Moreno said in a statement released at 11:30 p.m. Monday.

“We look forward to working with all interested parties to provide thoughtful discussion and increase awareness and education on this important topic,” he said.

Fracking and its impact has been controversial in Colorado, as opponents say they fear the risk to public health and the environment, including contamination to groundwater.

The Commerce City moratorium applies to all surface or subsurface oil and gas operations within the city limits that include fracking or drilling.

In the meantime the city will finish a comprehensive study on fracking’s potential impacts, “acknowledging the city’s regulatory limitations on the topic,” the city stated.

The city also will create a review committee for oil and gas land use to assess those impacts and adopt appropriate city codes.

The committee will include council members, industry representatives, city residents, interest groups and city staff.